spillman



April 2, 1940. sPlLLMAN 2,195,588

TRACK CONNECTION Filed Dec. 7, 193a 2 sheets-sheet 1 INVENTOR #fdpilamali M,Mv

ATTORNEYS A ril42, 1940. sp 2,195,588

nmcx commoner:

Fil ed Dec. 7, 195a ZSheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 2,1940 our reason coNn so'rioN Aibert Spillman, North Tonia-Wanda, N. 11.,as-

signor to Snillman Engineering Corporation,

North Tonawanda, N. Y.

Application 7 Claims.

' This invention relates to a method and means for connecting supportingtracks, such as of amusement park rides and the like. In par .ticular,it relates to tracks or trackwaye of such d vices which are positionedand supported in a plane inclined to the horizontal.

Heretofo-re considerable"difliculty has attended the installation ofamusement part: rides in which the trackwaysare in a plane inclined tothe horizontal, due to the fact that the track supporting devices ormembers must each assume a different angle or inclination in order toprod erly support the tracks. For example, 'in an amusement ride havingeighteen frames or sup-. porting stands for the trackway, the trackconnecting devices thereon must assume eighteen eparate and difierentangles or inclinations in order to properly and adequately support thetrack. The use of adjustable devices, which are adjusted in theamusement park where the amusement'ride maybe set up, is'difficult and gdangerous in that such adjustable devices may become released during useof the ride. of shims or Wedges to give the varying inclinations isinadequate.

In addition, amusement park rides are or- December '7, 1933, Serial No-244,455

(oi. rot-12st I parts of Fig. 1;

The use dinarily of'a semi-permanent nature, that is,

they should be adapted to be easily set up and subsequently taken downfor settingsun in another place. In such a construction the track shouldbe divi ed into sections, and the sections should be easily and quicklyattachable to each other and to the support. 7

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a device forsupporting the track of an amusement park ride at an angle inclined tothe horizontal.

It is another object to provide a plurality of such devices employingdifferent anglesq'of inclination tothehorizontal.

It is still another object to provide such a vice in which the angle ofinclination to the horizontal easily and quickly adjusted andpermanently predetermined.

and quickly adjusted so thatadjacent tracksections arein tight abuttingrelationship.

These and other objects will appear by reference to the followingspecification and accompanying drawingain Whichi "5 1 illustrates crosssectional elevation of a ride device having a track structure, accordingto the present invention, built on an inclined plane;

Fig. 2 illustrates is across section taken along the lines iii-III ofFig. 2; v v i Fig. 4 is a view taken along the line IV--IV Fig. 2, butapplied to the track connection at "I5 the end of a track section;

' 5 is a bottom plan view in 4, and: Y v p 6 is a perspective view of adetailed part of the structure shown in Figs. 4- and' 5. 20

Referring to the drawings, Fig. l showsa frame supporting stand W uponwhich the track nection, indicated generally at this adapted o rest.There are a plurality of these frames or platiorms,'-as i'nanyaseighteen or more in a ms standard installation. This frame may becomposed of inner upright members it, outer upright members it, andcross pieces M, as shown.

of the device shown The uprights l2 of the frame aresituated at aptop ofeach upright member 52 is attachcd a 'traclz' connection H in a mannerhereinafter It isa further object to provide a method for in such'a waythat they fit tightly together when the sections of the track structureare connected set up and attire same time can be easily taken apart. 1

1 It is anotherobject to provide an amusement 5! ride in which the trackstructure can be easily more specifically pointed out.

This attachment is secured by the provision of a hole 25 at the top ofthe inner upright memhere 22 through which passes a threaded stud 22.This stud, held in place by a nut 23, forms an integral part of arm 24,said arm extending- F4 generally inwardly at an angle from the uprightit. Until, the nut is tightened, the arm 24 is free to rotate aboutthestud 22 as anaxis. When. it tigtened, however, .it can rotate onlywithdifficulty due to the friction between the -i15 bolt and the partswith which it cooperates. --As shown in Figs. 1 aii d 2, when the trackis at an angle to thehorisontal, the angle of the arm i l with respectto the upright It varies at different points along thelength of thetrack, so fio that some of the arms 2 will at different angles fromothers. Thus, in Figs. 1 and 2 the angle is much less the case'of thearm at the left of th figure than in the case of the arm at the right ofthe figure. Once adjusted, how-ii55 a greatly enlarged detailof 10 ever,the angle at which each arm 24 is maintained is permanently secured bywelding the three parts I2, 23 and 24 together, or other convenientlocking means.

When an amusement ride track structure comprising such a device is firstassembled, for example at the factory Where it is built, the properangle or inclination is determined by actual assembly of the structure.When this is done, the supports will be self-aligning or adjusting sothat they will assume the different positions necessary to properlysupport the track in its inclined position. In standard installations ofthis sort the track of the amusement ride may have eighteen or morejacks orsupporting stands for the track and it will be understood thatthe track supporting brackets or holding means toproperly support thetrack will thereforehave to assume eighteen or more different positions.I therefore provide the readily adjustable members 24 which may bepreliminarily, frictionallysecured in position to permit the initial setof the track in assembly. When once set these members may be readilyhammered or tapped to proper aligning position, and then secured in suchposition either by means of Welding, fusing or by suitable mechanicalmeans.-

Cooperating with arm 24 is a member 30 having a fiat portion 35, anupstanding portion 49 and two depending arms 3!, said arms forming aU-shaped depression into which the outer end of member 24, cylindricalat this point, fits. This U-shaped depression is provided at one endwith a counterbore 32 into which fits, over the end of the arm 24, awasher'26. A nut 21 is threaded over the end of arm 24 and whentightened forces the washer 26 into the counterbore 32 so that themember 33 cannot be lifted off the arm 24. To the member 30 is rigidlyattached or welded a track section 29.

The construction shown in Figs. 2 and 3 is adapted to attach a tracksection 29 at various points along its length to the frame In. At theend of the track section 29, however, a modified structure is necessaryto connect the track section 29 both to the frame 10 and to an adjacenttrack section 49. This structure is shown in Figs. 4 and 5.. In thisposition the flat portion 35 and the upstanding portion 49 of the member30 extend somewhat beyond the end of the track section 29 so that theadjacent track section 49 can be adequately supported as hereinafterdescribed. Member 31! is further modified by the provision of two arms34 extending approximately horizontally and at right angles to arms 3!.The arm 34 on the side of the track opposite the upstanding portion 49is provided with an upstanding lug 48. Each arm 34 has at its outer enda hole 33. Through both of these holes ,36 passes a shaft 31, which alsopasses through a hole. 38 in a member 33 which freely pivots aroundshaft 31 as an axis. The member 33 is cylindrical at its outer end andis threaded for the reception of a nut 39.

An adjacent track section 46 is welded, near its end, to a T-shapedmember 4!. This T-shaped member consists of a cross piece 42 upon whichthe track 4|] rests, and a cylindrical upright 43 threaded at its lowerend for the reception of a nut 41. The upright 43 is of such a diameteras to fit between the arms 34, as here' inafter described. Spacedsomewhat farther from the end of track section 43 is a U-shaped member44, also welded firmly to the track section 40. Between the arms of theU of member 44, the cylindrical portion of member 33 is adapted to fit.In order to prevent members 33 and 44 from becoming disengaged, whentightened into place as hereinafter described, the outer edge oftheU-shaped depression of member 44 is counterbored at 45 for thereception of a washer 46.

In assembling the track sections, the section 29 is attached to anupright l2 by fitting the arms 3! of member 30 over the cylindricalportion of arm 24. The washer 26 and the nut 21 are placed over the endof arm 24 and the nut tightened into place. The adjacent track section40 is then superimposed upon the member 30 so that the end of tracksection 40 rests on the fiat portion 35 and the upright 43 passesthrough the slot defined by the arms 34 and the shaft 31. The tracksection 49 in this position is kept from lateral movement because it isconfined between upstanding portion 49 and lug 48. The member 33 is thenswung upwardly so that its cylindrical portion fits betwen the arms ofthe U of member 44. The washer 46 and the nut 39'are then fitted overthe end of member 33, and the nut tightened into place, forcing thewasher 46 into the counterbore 45. This tightening action draws tracksections 29 and 40 together, until they fit snugly against each other inthe position shown in Fig. 4. The last operation (which mayalternatively be performed before member 33 is swung into place orbefore nut 39 is tightened) is the fitting of nut 41 over the end ofupright 43 and the tightening of said nut into place.

As many modifications may obviously be made from the form shown in thedrawings without departing from the spirit of the invention, theinvention is not intended to be limited thereto ex- 1. A device forconnecting two track sections together in end to end relationship and toa support comprising an arm extending from said support at apredetermined angle thereto, a track section, a first member permanentlyattached to said track section and detachably connected to said arm, asecond track section, a supporting surface on said first member for saidsecond track section, a second member permanently attached to saidsecond track section and detachably connected to said first member, andmeans for drawing together the two track sections.

2. A device for connecting two track sections together in end to endrelationship andto a support comprising an arm extending. from saidsupport at a predetermined angle thereto, a track section, a firstmember permanently attached to said track section and detachablyconnected to said arm, a second track section, a supporting surface onsaid first member for said second track section, a second memberpermanently attached to said second track section and detachablyconnected to said first member, an arm swingably attached to said firstmember, a third member permanently attached to said second track sectionand detachably connected to said swingable arm, and means on saidswingable arm for drawing together the two track sections.

3. A device for connecting a track section to a support comprising anarm extending from said support, a rotatable connection between said armand said support whereby the angle which said arm occupies with respectto said support can be predetermined, means for locking said armpermanently in position at said predetermined angle,

and means for detachably connecting a track section to said arm.

4. A'device for connecting a track section to a support comprising anarm extending from said support, a rotatable connection between said armand said support whereby the ,angle which said arm occupies with respectto said support can be predetermined, means for locking said armpermanently in position at said predetermined angle,

and means for detachably connecting a track secto the horizontal. l

5. A device for connecting a track section to a support comprising anarm extending from said support, a rotatable connection between said armand said support whereby the angle which said arm occupies with respectto said support can be predetermined, said arm being welded to saidsupport at said. predetermined anglaand means for detachablyconnecting atrack section to said arm, said track section being inclined at an angleAL. ,SPILLMAN.

